We have come to Palm Sunday, and next Lord’s Day we will be marking the event that transformed the heavens and earth, changing them into a new heaven and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.
The triumphal entry into Jerusalem marks one of the greatest acts of faith in the history of our world. In His great battle at the cross, and in His victory in the resurrection, the Lord Jesus was going to conquer sin, death, the devil and hell. All of them together were going to be thrown down and trampled upon. This was going to happen so that Scripture (which cannot be broken) might be fulfilled.
So certain was it that these things were going to happen, being determined in the decrees of God, that Jesus conducted His victory parade beforehand. He was not naively walking into a trap—the rulers of that age were naively walking into a trap. Jesus announced the salvation of God, celebrated it, and then went on to accomplish it.
This coming week, our marking of Holy Friday will be solemn, but we will not be hiding in any upper rooms filled with fear. The point of this week is not to reenact the unbelief of the first disciples. As we celebrate this week, never forget the end of it. We know the end of the story because it has already happened. But Jesus knew the end of the story before it happened because He knew the Scriptures. And He chided the disciples for their slowness of heart—they should have known for the same reasons He knew. The Scriptures required it, and Jesus plainly told them beforehand that He would rise from the dead. During this week, we are not supposed to try to reenact the disciples sinful and sorrowful response.
So what is the lesson of Palm Sunday? It is that we are to rejoice always—before the battle, and after. So this Friday, our demeanor should be that of great joy, barely contained. And the only reason we contain it is so that we may have something to burst forth with next Sunday. Joy upon joy, faith upon faith, song upon song.